Chapter 565: The Other Side of the Story

“You’re giving the Myriad Year Spirit Milk to me as a gift?” Han Li was astonished upon hearing her.

“That’s right! Although the Myriad Year Spirit Milk could be considered extremely precious, it cannot be compared with Brother Han’s life-saving rescue. Could it be that Brother Han believes that I am the sort of woman who doesn’t know how to repay kindness?” Yuan Yao bit her lip as she started to twirl a fine strand of hair around her finger.

Han Li was hesitant as he said, “No, it’s just...”

When Yuan Yao heard this, her eyes brightened and she smiled, “We are fellow survivors of Heavenvoid Hall, and now you’ve saved my life once again. There is no need for Brother Han to address me as an outsider and always call me ‘Fellow Daoist’.” Yuan Yao chuckled after saying this, but she soon thought of something and a blush appeared on her face, emphasizing her beauty.

When Han Li saw her captivating expression, he couldn’t help but blankly stare at her for a time.

Yuan Yao’s blush deepened when she saw Han Li staring at her, turned her head to the side as if to avoid his gaze.

A while later, Han Li took a deep breath and said, “Since Miss Yuan Yao has said this, I won’t act so unfamiliar and will call you by your esteemed name.”

He then casually picked up the small bottle and opened it to see that it was truly the Myriad Year Spirit Milk.

With a trace of joy, Han Li placed the bottle into his storage pouch. Then after some slight hesitation, Han Li took out two small, white jade bottles and pushed them towards Yuan Yao.

Yuan Yao blinked and said with slight confusion, “What are those?”

Han Li calmly replied, “These two bottles contain medicine pills for progressing one’s magic power, and will assuredly aid you in your future cultivation. Consider them as an exchange of gifts.”

Yuan Yao paused for a moment and then pursed her lips in a smile as she looked at the two white jade bottles, “I’ve already said that the spirit milk was a present to you, but Brother Han still took out two bottles of medicine pills to give me. You’re making me quite embarrassed.”

Han Li glanced at her and smiled before saying, “There is no need for Miss Yuan to feel embarrassed! These two bottles of medicine pills were refined from the cores of grade six demon beasts. With Miss Yuan’s current cultivation at the peak of early Core formation stage, these pills will allow you to smoothly enter the mid Core Formation stage.”

Yuan Yao’s smile suddenly turned into an expression of shock, “Medicine pills refined from grade six demon cores?”

𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

She immediately grabbed a bottle and opened the lid. Pure spiritual Qi was released from the bottle, much to Yuan Yao’s delighted surprise.

Yuan Yao’s hand tightly held onto the bottle and said in an embarrassed manner, “I could refuse anything else, but due to desperation, I’m afraid that this little woman will have to shamefully accept these two bottles of medicine pills.”

The two bottles of medicine pills would save Yuan Yao over ten years of bitter cultivation, so although she felt slightly embarrassed, she was still very much delighted.

“Please, don’t hesitate to take them. I still have other things to request of you.” Han Li felt relief after seeing Yuan Yao take the medicine pills. Otherwise, he would’ve found it difficult to put forward his next request.

After carefully putting away the two bottles, Yuan Yao felt even more relaxed towards Han Li, and her expression only grew more lovely. “With Brother Han’s current powers, what could Brother Han possibly require from this little woman? Let me know and I will certainly help if I can.”

Han Li slowly said, “Just now I was amazed when I saw the Azure Yang Sect’s secret Spirit Constraining Formation; it was able to restrain the spiritual Qi surrounding your cave residence. Would Miss Yuan be able to give me a copy of the method to create this formation spell? I would be extremely grateful.”

“The Spirit Constraining Formation? Not a problem.” Perhaps wishing to repay Han Li for the medicine pills, Yuan Yao instantly agreed without the slightest consideration. She immediately took out a jet-black jade slip and handed it to Han Li.

Yuan Yao sweetly smiled in a breathtaking display of her dainty charms, “This jade slip contains the formation spell records of the Azure Yang Sect. In addition to the Spirit Constraining Formation, there are several other powerful spell formations as well.”

Han Li was elated to accept the jade slip and uttered several words of thanks before immersing his spiritual sense in it. Just as Yuan Yao had said, there were several spell formations that he had never heard of in addition to the Spirit Constraining Formation.

After quickly looking through the contents, Han Li withdrew his spiritual sense from the jade slip with a satisfied expression. When he thought to say something to Yuan Yao, he was surprised to see that she appeared to hesitant about whether or not she should speak.

With a trace of doubt on his face, Han Li asked, “Is there something you want to ask me, Miss Yuan?”

Yuan Yao hesitated before revealing an expression of determination, and calmly asked, “Since Brother Han already knows about the Azure Yang Sect, then you should also know a bit about my past, yes?”

A bewildered expression appeared on Han Li’s face at the suddenly change of topic. Not knowing why she has raised the issue, he indifferently nodded and sullenly said, “That’s right. When I infiltrated their group, I heard the Azure Yang Sect elder say that you had nearly become the young sect master’s concubine. Afterwards, you killed the young master in secret and fled with his treasures. Is that true?”

When she heard Han Li’s brief summary, a bitter smile appeared on Yuan Yao’s beautiful face. With a mocking tone, she said, “He wasn’t wrong. I really did nearly become that wretch’s concubine, and I did it with the intention of gaining the Azure Yang Sect as a powerful backer. Do you believe that my actions displayed a lack of pride or honor, Brother Han?”

Han Li shook his head and emotionlessly said, “Not in the slightest. That’s just how the cultivation world works. If you aren’t born into a large sect or if you lack exceptional spiritual roots, it’s extremely difficult to progress on the path of cultivation! That being the case, your methods are basically par for the course. Most beautiful female cultivators are more than willing to become the concubine or servant of high grade male cultivators in the hopes of acquiring support. There are even a few female cultivators that have given up on cultivation completely and become cultivation furnaces for others, merely looking for a period of luxury free of worry.”

Han Li’s words seemed to make Yuan Yao feel more at ease. She then forced a smile at Han Li and said, “Senior Martial Sister Yan Li [1] and I were both born in a small cultivation sect. Not only were our aptitudes only average, but our cultivation techniques were mediocre as well. We both realized if things continued like they were, we wouldn’t even catch a glimpse of Foundation Establishment stage, let alone Core Formation. As a result, we both agreed to leave our sect and wanted to find an unmarried male cultivator with profound cultivation in hopes of becoming their Dao companion. Unfortunately, we never encountered a suitable high grade cultivator, not even one at late Foundation Establishment stage. Instead, our beauty attracted many undesirables like flies to fruit, but since their cultivations weren’t superior to our own, we were unwilling to devote our hearts to them.

“Later on, due to a few unforeseen events, Senior Martial Sister Yan Li and I parted ways for a time. Several years later when I reunited with her, I discovered that she had become the cultivation furnace for the Azure Yang Sect’s young master. I was shocked and furious at the time and wanted to investigate it, but at that moment, the Azure Yang Sect’s young master suddenly appeared and started to repeatedly say how attracted he was to me and how he wanted me to be his concubine. I accepted his terms on the condition that he release Senior Martial Sister Yan Li and also wed her as a concubine. But during those years, I was young and short sighted. Based on the wretch’s illustrious identity, deep cultivation, and great riches, I agreed without much consideration despite the protests of my Senior Martial Sister.”

At this point Yuan Yao wore a dazed expression as if she were lost in her memories of that year.

Han Li slightly furled his brow, but knowing that she was about to continue, he silently waited.

After Yuan Yao woke from her daze, he voice grew icy as she continued, “On our way back to the Azure Yang Sect, Senior Martial Sister Yan Li found an opportunity to secretly tell me that she had originally been duped by the Azure Yang Sect’s young master. She had also been promised to be wed as a concubine, but she had instead became the wretch’s cultivation furnace several months later and was greatly sapped of her strength. It seemed that most of his cultivation vessels had been cheated in nearly the same way. After they entered the Azure Yang Sect, these female cultivators that were promised to be concubines had all become cultivation vessels and were stripped of their freedom. When I heard that, I became fearful and began to consult with Senior Martial Sister about taking advantage of the wretch when he was unguarded to stealthily dispose of him, but who could’ve known that this ravenous wretch wished to consummate our marriage before we even managed to return to the sect? Helpless, my Senior Martial Sister and I could only lay down a trap and take advantage of his moment of weakness.

“In the end, the plan succeeded. However, my Senior Martial Sister Yan Li suffered an immense injury and lost her body. All I could do for her was take her primal soul and temporarily house it in a magic tool, but ordinary ghost magic tools cause the soul to decay within only days. Later on, I used all the techniques I could to slow this degradation but I was never able to stop it. Soon, Senior Martial Sister Yan Li’s primal soul was at risk of losing her intelligence, and being forever incapable of bonding with a body.”

Having heard this, Han Li’s eyes brightened as he recalled the matter of the Spirit Nurturing Wood. “Could it be that you acquired the Soul Nurturing Wood in order to protect Fellow Daoist Yan Li’s soul?”

[1] Yan Li first appeared in chapter 375. She was the dainty woman who accompanied Yuan Yao.